State of Threat (State of Arizona Book 2)
Page 22
The gun was three feet away from Usafi’s grabbing hand. Tan reached for a rock and overbalanced, allowing Usafi to roll and get loose. Tan threw the rock catching Usafi in the middle of the back, knocking him away from the gun. Tan ran to the gun. He bent to pick it up as Usafi hit him from the side. Tan wrapped his hand around the gun only to have it fly away into a patch of prickly pear cactus. He turned and hit Usafi.
The killer spun and, as he came around, caught Tan on the side of his head with a solid right cross.
Tan rolled down the backside of the ridge stopped only by a tree trunk in the ribs. He stood against the tree just in time to see Usafi running down the slope at him. Tan waited, sucking air.
Usafi ducked his head and raised his spread arms like antlers to grab and carry Tan down.
Tan sidestepped allowing Usafi to ram the tree with his left shoulder. Tan heard the crunch.
Usafi howled. His face contorted in pain, he swung his right hand at Tan and tried to kick him in the crotch. The swing glanced off Tan’s shoulder and the kick missed as Tan averted the punch.
Tan grabbed the front of the dark man’s shirt and swung his right fist with all he had only to have Usafi fall under the punch, grabbing Tan’s legs in his right arm and pushing with his legs. Tan went down, rolling again, coming to a stop in a sprawl, belly down. Trying to stand, he noticed a drop off that went on for a hundred feet or more not six feet further downhill. Not quite a cliff, but, had he gone that far, it was steep enough. He would not have survived.
Both men were in survival mode, running on pure adrenaline. They no longer thought, they just reacted.
Usafi charged the man who represented the State of Arizona, the state he hated.
Tan watched the man charge and yelled, “No!” as he fell to the ground from his half standing position.
Usafi dove at Tan as he withered. Tan grabbed for the man, hitting his crushed shoulder. Usafi screamed in agony and leaped up, with a right to Tan’s head, pushing the Marine further into the dirt and down the slope. Tan kicked Usafi as he fell. There was nothing but death gleaming from Usafi’s eyes as Tan got to his feet faster than the terrorist did.
The Marine planted his feet deep in the rough debris of the slope, and waited, watching Usafi stand.
Tan said, “Surrender?”
Usafi shook his head, “I would never meet my virgins if I did.” He lurched toward Tan swinging a roundhouse right as he closed.
Tan evaded the blow and hit Usafi with a hard right fist to the kidney, pushing Usafi face first into a tumbling roll. He was mesmerized as he watched the man roll. His first rolled finished, he looked at Tan with total panicked fear, reaching out with his only good arm still adorned with the cuffs, and began his second roll out of sight.
Tan fell to the leaves and rocks, trembling at the scream, “Allah Akbar” cut short by a rock in the path of the terrorist’s head.
Tan tried to figure out how a watermelon got dropped down the slope where Usafi had gone as he laid back and closed his eyes.
‘Enjoy your virgins,’ he thought.
Tank ran up with the radio Tan had dropped in the tussle with the terrorist. “Where is he? Did you lose him?”
Tan looked up and asked, “Who?”
“The terrorist that tried to blow up the dam.”
“Is the dam okay?”
“Where is he?”
Tan was confused. The exhaustion, the pain, his everything hurt.
The sound of a chopper moving closer broke through his stupor. “Hand me the radio?”
Tank handed him the radio and Tan pushed the button on the side, “Is that my chopper?” he said into the little holes on the front.
“Yes. I’m right above the truck.”
“Follow the valley up to the ridge. I’m about fifty feet below the ridge on the far side. Have a couple of men rappel down to me or lower them, I don’t care. Need a couple of climbers.”
“We’re coming.”
Within seconds the chopper was over the ridge and began hovering. Tan laid back and closed his eyes against the down blast of the blades. Tank rolled to his belly and did the same. Two men hit the dirt with a thud and ran to the pair.
“Which one of you is Mr. Brown?”
“That would be me.”
“Sir, you look like crap. Anything broken?”
“Naw. Marines don’t break.”
Abdul staggered into the scene, blood covering much of his head and face, and fell next to Tan and Tank, “Did I miss anything?”
Tan laughed, and it hurt.
Within minutes the three of them were in the chopper. One of the Guardsmen from the chopper was checking out the truck. Two others were moving down the slope to determine the condition of Adam Usafi. The fourth one stood on the ridge watching the sun brighten the sky even more.
Twenty Guardsmen had caught up and were all over the site. Usafi was confirmed dead. The Guadalcanal Commemorative was still lost. It would be found before they quit looking.
The chopper banked down the valley picking up speed as it was ordered to return to base, the National Guard Complex on McDowell in Phoenix.
“Hey, Tan, you know that money you fronted me?” Tank asked over the intercom headset.
“Yeah, don’t worry about it, it was a long shot.”
“Well, I figure your share to date is about $10,000.”
“Hey, I only donated the first cash. I didn’t sign on for all your other bills.”
“Listen to me, you gave me money to work the mine. I hit the vein that the old man was looking for. Nothing but jewelry rock, my man. Nothing but the finest. I have sold over 50 grand worth of gold outta that hole, thanks to them hiding that trailer in there.”
Tan looked at him and nodded, laid down, and fell asleep with a smile on his face.
End
If you have comments,
Email Doug at writingsailor@gmail.com
Other books by Doug
Western adventures
Blood on the Zuni
Vengeance
Gentle Rebellion
4 X Armed
State of Arizona series
State of Defense
Non-fiction
Puzzling Theology
The Fishy Prophet
BLOOD ON THE ZUNI
“This guy writes better than Louis L’Amour.”
Rustlers, land grabs, vengeance, guns, horses, and a green eyed redhead, all between the two covers
of one western set in Eastern Arizona in the 1880’s.
or
VENGEANCE
If you think a woman scorned is mean, wait until you see this gal after all her dreams are destroyed.
“I wouldn’t want his woman after me.”
“TRUE GRIT move over, Krissy is here.”
GENTLE REBELLION
The growing up story of a young man that just wanted to be a cowboy. From the schoolhouse to the ranch with more troubles than bees trying to find flowers in the Arizona Desert in August.
1956 in rural Arizona.
“This one’s your best, Doug.”
STATE OF DEFENSE
#1 in the Arizona series
Where it all started.
A Governor and a Legislature decide enough is enough and refuse to take any more Federal money.
That will take back their borders, their culture, their schools, and their defense.
Mexico is mad. Citizens are mad.
The Federal Government disowns Arizona.
“Doug, do you think this could ever happen? I like it”
David Dehner
“This presents some delicate scenarios in the greater political game.”
“Great story.”
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